Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

PDFTK Builder VS PDFtk

Compare PDFTK Builder VS PDFtk and see what are their differences

PDFTK Builder logo PDFTK Builder

PDFTK Builder is a free graphical interface to for PDFTK, making it much easier to use.

PDFtk logo PDFtk

PDFtk is a simple tool for doing everyday things with PDF documents.
  • PDFTK Builder Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30
  • PDFtk Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-28

PDFTK Builder features and specs

  • Free and Open Source
    PDFTK Builder is available at no cost and its source code is open, allowing users to modify and enhance the software as per their needs without any licensing restrictions.
  • Simple Interface
    The software features a straightforward and user-friendly interface, making it accessible to users with minimal technical expertise.
  • Lightweight
    PDFTK Builder is a lightweight application that does not require significant system resources, ensuring it can run smoothly on older or less powerful machines.
  • Versatility
    It offers a variety of functionalities including merging, splitting, rotating, and adding passwords to PDF files, making it a versatile tool for managing PDFs.
  • Platform Compatibility
    Since it operates on the popular PDFTK base, it is compatible with multiple operating systems, including Windows, MacOS, and Linux.

Possible disadvantages of PDFTK Builder

  • Limited Advanced Features
    PDFTK Builder lacks some advanced features such as OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and detailed editing capabilities found in more comprehensive PDF software.
  • Basic User Interface
    While simple, its user interface might appear too basic and outdated for some users accustomed to more modern and visually appealing software.
  • Dependence on PDFTK
    PDFTK Builder relies heavily on the underlying PDFTK library, meaning any limitations or shortcomings of PDFTK will also affect its performance.
  • No Collaborative Features
    The software does not support collaborative features such as real-time editing or comments, which might be essential for team-based projects.
  • Limited Support
    As a free and open-source tool, PDFTK Builder might not offer comprehensive or timely support compared to proprietary software solutions.

PDFtk features and specs

  • Versatility
    PDFtk provides a wide range of capabilities for manipulating PDF files, such as merging, splitting, encrypting, and decrypting, which make it highly versatile for various PDF tasks.
  • Command-line Interface
    PDFtk has a command-line interface, which allows for automated, scriptable PDF processing, ideal for integration into other systems and workflows.
  • Cross-Platform
    PDFtk is available for multiple operating systems, including Windows, Mac, and Linux, making it accessible for users across different platforms.
  • Cost
    It's available as a free and open-source tool, making it an economical choice for individuals and businesses looking to manage PDFs without incurring extra costs.
  • Simplicity
    PDFtk is straightforward to use for common PDF tasks, with clear functionality that doesn't require extensive learning or setup.

Possible disadvantages of PDFtk

  • Limited GUI
    While PDFtk offers powerful command-line tools, its graphical user interface is limited, which might be a disadvantage for users who prefer or need a visual interface.
  • Lack of Advanced Editing Features
    PDFtk lacks advanced editing capabilities found in some other PDF tools, such as text editing, annotation, and form creation, which may limit its usefulness for users needing these features.
  • Support and Documentation
    As an open-source tool, support may be limited compared to commercial solutions, and some users might find the available documentation insufficient for complex tasks.
  • Performance
    For very large PDF files or extensive batch operations, users might experience performance limitations compared to more robust, enterprise-level solutions.

Analysis of PDFTK Builder

Overall verdict

  • PDFTK Builder is generally considered a good tool for PDF manipulation due to its simplicity, effectiveness, and range of features.

Why this product is good

  • It provides users with a straightforward interface to perform essential tasks like merging, splitting, and password-protecting PDF files. Users appreciate its ease of use and reliability for basic PDF operations.

Recommended for

    PDFTK Builder is recommended for users who need a lightweight, free tool to perform basic PDF operations without any complex features or steep learning curves. It's ideal for individuals and small businesses looking for a quick and efficient way to manage PDFs.

PDFTK Builder videos

Demo of PDFTK Builder.avi

PDFtk videos

PDFTK Builder - RedUSERS

More videos:

  • Review - Demo of PDFTK Builder.avi

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PDFTK Builder and PDFtk)
PDF Tools
61 61%
39% 39
PDF Editor
65 65%
35% 35
PDF Creator
65 65%
35% 35
Office & Productivity
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PDFTK Builder seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

PDFTK Builder mentions (1)

  • How to add a first page to an existing document?
    Such as a book cover ? Then perhaps it's better to export both as PDFs and use a tool such as PDFTK to join the PDF of the cover with the PDF of your document. Source: over 4 years ago

PDFtk mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of PDFtk yet. Tracking of PDFtk recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing PDFTK Builder and PDFtk, you can also consider the following products

PDFsam - PDFsam Basic, a free, open source, multi-platform software designed to split, merge, extract pages, mix and rotate PDF files

PDF Arranger - Small python-gtk application, which helps the user to merge or split pdf documents and rotate, crop...

Pdfinfo - Pdfinfo is a PDF document information and metadata extractor tool.

PDFill - Open, View, Edit, Save and Print PDF Documents without Adobe Acrobat

AutoMetadata - AutoMetadata is a tool for exploring and manipulating metadata, document properties, and viewer preferences in multiple PDF documents.

PDF Joiner - This online tool allows you to join several PDF documents into a single file, free of charge.